eiggs



3 Sheets--Sheet I.

(No Model.)

T L. & D. L. RIGGS. Fruit Drier.

hi3.) 1 W1 ATTORNEY No. 234,202. Patented Nov. 9, I880.

WITNESSES INVENTOR N-PETERS. P907 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

T. L. 8L1). L. RIGGS.

Fruit Drier.

Patented Nov. 9, 1880.

\ iiiiiu INVENTOR WITNESSES i ATQQPLNEY N.PETERS. PHDTO-LI'FHDGRAPHER, WASHXNGYON. D Q

(N0 Model.) 3 Sheets--Sheet 3.

I. L. & D. L RIGGS. Fruit Drier.

No. 234,202. Patented Nov. 9,1880.

Z I if UQ U iii Hi1 Ur? UK? HE] D U 5:? Hi1 WITNESSES INVENTOR (L (5L3, m ui. ATTORNEY PHOTO- H UNITED STATES PATENT Erica.

THEODORE L. RIGGS, OF PORTLAND, AND DANIEL L. RIGGS, OF SALEM, OREGON.

FRUIT- SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,202, dated November 9, 1880.

Application filed July 20, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, DANIEL L. RIGGs, of Salem, in the county of Marion and State of Oregon, and THEODORE L. RIGGS, of Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have jointly invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Driers; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to rotary fruit-driers, and is designed to provide improved means whereby all small fruits may be dried by artificial heat in the most satisfactory manner, inasmuch as it is particularly designed for and looks to the necessity of obtaining a steady temperature and even application of the heat, so that the fruit will be thoroughly, uniformly, and rapidly dried and yet retain to the greatest possible degreeits naturalfiavor.

With this end in view our invention consists in certain details of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a front view in perspective, showing our device with the door through which the fruit is introduced open. Fig. 2 is a front view with a portion of the outer casing removed. Fig. 3 is a view in cross section. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the stove, and Fig. 5 is a plan View of the heat-regulator. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view on line a0 00 of Fig. 3, illustrating the grooved guides in which the periphery of the larger gear-wheel is fitted.

A is ametallic or wooden chamber in which revolves the drying cage B, which latter rests upon guides attached to the ends 0 and D of the frame A. F are doors, located in front of (No model.)

wheels, H H, connected together by rods h, these rods being stiffened bypassing them through perforations h in the periphery of a band or wheel, h, placed midway of the two large gear-wheels H H.

The gear-wheels H H are supported upon guides 0, which project from the inner walls of the ends O and D at points below and on either side of the center thereof. These guides, as illustrated in Fig. 6, are formed longitudinally, grooved, and adapted to have the peripheries of the gear-wheels H H fitted therein.

The drier-wheel B is rotated by pinions ac, respectively secured to the extremities of a shaft, b, which latter is journaled in bearings formed in the ends of the drierchamber. These pinions respectively mesh with the toothed peripheries of gear-wheels H H.

Upon the rods h, connecting the two gear wheels H H, are hung the swinging drying shelves or trays G, one being placed on each side of the rim h \Ve have provided each rod with two swinging shelves or frames instead of one shelf extending the whole length of the drier-reel, for the reason that the trays fitting in the short frames can be filled and placed in the drier-reel and withdrawn therefrom with greater ease than the long trays, and do not sag when weighted with fruit.

Each shelf is constructed of two stirrupshaped end pieces, 0 0, connected by a perforated tray, 0. Each stirrup-piece c is provided with a series of inwardlyprojecting flanges 0, adapted to receive additional trays e 0 When the drier-reel B is revolved these drying-shelves, having free swinging motion, will always remain in a perpendicular position, and at the same time present both the upper and under faces of the tray to the various temperatures that may existin the drierchamber.

A device for regulating the temperature of the drienchamber is arranged at its highest point, a plan View of the same being shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The drier-chamber is provided at this point with a number of 5 ports placed at regular distances from each other, and designated by y in the drawings. Aslide, L, provided with perforations 3 which register with the ports y in the frame, is adjustably secured thereto by the tlanges I I. This slide has lateral movement in the tlanges, whereby the portsy may be opened and closed at pleasure. A loop, M affords a convenient handle for adjustment. When the temperature in the drier-cluunber is higher than desired. by laterally moving the slide until the perforations I register with the ports y. the heated air will pass oti and the temperature will be lowered until a suitable degree of heat is reached.

A stove or heater, J, supported within the casing J, supplies heat to the drier-chamber, and this is, in part, etl'ected by passing the draft of the stove, the same being deflected by damper .1, through a heating-eylinder, K, occupying the center of the drier-reel, each end of said cylinder K projecting a short distance through the ends L) aml I) of the drierchamher, and provided with removable caps 1t, thereby rendering the interior of the cylinder easy of access. The cap R is twice pertorated at r 1', each perforation being provided with a flange, p p,over which the entrance and exit draft-pipes 1F arepassed in making the connection between the stove and drier-chamber.

The heating-cylinder is provided with alternate eud'connecting passages, which may be of any suitable number and extend lengthwise with the cylinder. In the drawings we show a cylinder having four of these passages. By means of this construction the draft of the stove or furnace will be passed through the cylinder four times, thereby heating it iiitensely, and from it heat will be radiated in every direction and very evenly distributed throughout the drier-chamber. Aside from the manifest economical advantages of this application of the heat whereby so great a per cent. of the heat generated is utilized, the fruit is entirely inaccessible to smoke aml the products of combustion. Another source of heat is obtained by heating air which surrounds the stove and passing it into the drier chamber. The hot air constantly rises to the dome of the drier-chamber, leaving a stratum of air lower in temperature in the bottom of the drier-chamber. This cooler air will pass through an aperture, K, in the end piece, 0, and be conducted by a pipe, 11, into the airchamber J, where it will be reheated and passed into the drier-chamber through the aperture K. This current of heated air will flow through the drierchamber and easing J as long as heat is generated in the stove J.

When the fruit is sufficientlydried or when the heat within the drier-chamber becomes too intense, the deflecting-dampers is opened and the draft is allowed to pass directly up and out of the smoke-pipe .10.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fruit-drier, the combination, with a chamberhaving its endsprovided with grooved guides projecting from their inner sides, of two gear-wheels, respectively located at the ends of the chamber and having their peripheries fitted in the guides, said gear-wheels being supported solely by said guides and provided with connecting-rods which carry drying-pans, substantially as set forth.

2. In a fruit-drier, the combination, with a chamber having its ends provided with interior grooved guides, two wheels, respectively fitted in the guides at each chamber end, and rods connecting the wheels and provided with dryingpans, of an actuating-shaft journaled in bearings formed on the ends of the chamher, and two pinions, respectively secured to the shaft extremities and engaging with the toothed peripheries of the end wheels, substantially as set forth.

;S. In a fruit-drier, the combination, with a heat-generator and an inclosing chamber, of two independent passages connecting said inclosing-chamber with the drier'chainber, said passages respectively communicating with the drier chamber at different vertical points, whereby one passage is adapted to conduct low strata of air from the drier-chamber into said inclosing-chamber, and the other passage is adapted to conduct hot air from the inclosing-chamber to the drier-chamber, substantially as set forth.

4. In a fruit-drier, the combination, with a longitudinal heating-cylinder located within the drier-chamber, of an exterior smoke-pipe provided with a subsidiary pipe which communicates with the cylinder, and a damper adapted either to pass more or less of the products otcombustion into the subsidiary pipe and the cylinder, or to pass all the products of combustion directly through the smokepipe, substantially as set forth.

5. In a fruit-drier, the combination, with a longitudinal heating-cylinder located within the drier-chamber and provided with alternate end connecting-passages, of asmoke-pipe provided with two connecting-pipes which respectively communicate with the entrance and exit openings of the cylinder, and a damper located in the smoke-pipe at a point between the two connecting-pipes, substantially as set forth.

6. In a fruit-drier, the combination, with a longitudinal heating-cylinder located within the drier-chamber and provided with alternate end connecting-passages, of a cap secured to one of the cylinder extremities which project beyond the end of the drier-chamber, and a smoke-pipe provided with two cross-pipes which respectively connect with entrance and exit openings formed in the cap of said cylinder, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of have hereunto set my hand this 8th day of July, 1880. J uly 1880.

DANIEL L. RIGGS. THEODORE L. BIGGS. Witnesses: Witnesses V. R. HYDE, L. M. PARRISH,

SETH R. HAMMER. E. W. CORNELL. 

